Effect of Private Self-Consciousness and Success Outcome on Causal Dimensions

Recent research has shown that individuals high in private self-consciousness generally make more self-attributions following hypothetical outcomes than those low in private self-consciousness. The purpose of this study was to replicate and extend past research in assessing the attributional responses of such individuals in real outcome and no-outcome conditions. French-Canadian female college students (N = 62) performed an achievement task and were then informed that they had done well (success outcome) or were not informed at all (no outcome). The subjects then rated the perceived causal dimensions of the attributed cause of the outcome. Results of an ANOVA revealed the presence of an interaction. Subjects high in private self-consciousness who had been informed that they had done well (success outcome) made more internal, stable, and controllable attributions than subjects low in private self-consciousness. Subjects low in private self-consciousness tended to make more internal, stable, and controllable attributions than subjects high in private self-consciousness in the no-outcome condition.